How Do You Cook Rice?

[alamaz]

Thanks in advance for any suggestions. I buy Lundbergs organic long grain brown rice and the basmati rice. The brown rice is okay, kinda of gummy and tasteless but the basmati rice i burnt to the bottom of my poor pan. Then I tried to make a chicken and rice soup in the crock pot and the rice pretty much dissolved! does any one know what i'm doing wrong? for the crock pot i put 2/3c raw basmati rice in (the recipie called for raw rice). am i using the wrong rice? the other time i tried rice in the crock pot to make a rice and meat dish it didn't even cook but there was still lots of liquid leftover! talk about yuck! crunchy rice.....yum!

Amy

[CarlaB]

I'm not much for kitchen gadgets, but I LOVE my rice steamer!!! Perfect rice every time!

[missy'smom]

For the burnt basmati, you either had too long a cooking time or too high heat. I cook white long grain on the stovetop all the time but it's tricky finding just the right setting. Once the water comes to a good strong boil, add the rice and cover and turn down to low. On my stove I have 10 numbers with a low coming before the 1 and usually set it to 1 or 2. You should be able to hear a little simmer inside but not too much action. No sound and it may be too low. This applies to most varieties of rice,

Every stove is different. Check the package for times. I always set a timer. Once the time is up remove it from the burner and let it sit without peaking for 5 min. It will continue to absorb the liquid.

For the soup. I'm thinking that adding the rice from the beginning is too long a time. Add it closer to the end. Maybe a little longer than the usual cooking time for that variety of rice depending on how hot the broth is.

For the other dish, I'm stumped.

For brown rice I have found that I like a little less liquid and a little bite to it. Usually I never play around with liquid amounts.

Good luck and don't give up.

[lonewolf]

An easy way to make basmati rice:

Mix 1 C Basmati rice, 1-1/2 C water, 2 tsp. olive oil and 1 tsp. salt in a pan on the stove. Bring to a boil, stir occasionally. As soon as it starts to boil, turn the heat down to low, cover tightly and don't open it for 20 minutes. You can also double or triple this in a bigger pan.

I usually rinse the rice until the water runs clear BEFORE cooking it.

You can also put everything in a greased casserole dish, cover it, and bake it at 375 for 45-60 minutes. This works great when you're baking chicken or something in the oven.

I don't have good luck with brown rice. I usually use that in soups where it doesn't have to turn out perfectly.

[VegasCeliacBuckeye]

I use the Success brand "boil in a bag" rice (Brown and Whte)

Its easy and dummy-proof.

Just fill the pot with water, heat to boil, add the bag, take out in 10 minutes.

Voila!

[Tritty]

  CarlaB said:

I'm not much for kitchen gadgets, but I LOVE my rice steamer!!! Perfect rice every time!

Is that the pampered chef one? I've been looking for a good one, b/c I too can't seem to make decent rice. I'll do it the same way every time and once it's good - the other it's terrible

[CarlaB]

  Tritty said:

Is that the pampered chef one? I've been looking for a good one, b/c I too can't seem to make decent rice. I'll do it the same way every time and once it's good - the other it's terrible

Mine is made by Rival. I love it, rice is always perfect. The brown rice needs more water and time than they say, but that's the only "issue" I've ever had with it. It's so simple.

[jerseyangel]

I make both brown and white rice the same way--the only thing that changes is the cooking time.

I put 2 parts water or broth to each one part rice. Add salt, bring to a boil. Cover pan, put heat down to simmer for 20 minutes for white and 40 minutes for brown.

Turn off heat, let the pan sit, covered for 5 minutes.

[Phyllis28]

  jerseyangel said:

I make both brown and white rice the same way--the only thing that changes is the cooking time.

I put 2 parts water or broth to each one part rice. Add salt, bring to a boil. Cover pan, put heat down to simmer for 20 minutes for white and 40 minutes for brown.

Turn off heat, let the pan sit, covered for 5 minutes.

Start with jerseyangel's process. The process may take more or less time depending of the pot you are cooking in. I just recently bought new sauce pots and it takes longer to cook the rice now because the new pots are thicker. I have also found it takes a little longer to cook larger quanities of rice. My new pots have glass lids so I can see when the rice is done.

[larry mac]

I too use the Success Rice. The Thai Fragrant Jasmine variety 10 minute boil-in-bag. Hey, it's imported from Thailand. And if you look on the side at the bottom, it actually says gluten-free (for those that require their food products to be labeled gluten-free). Haven't had it stick to anything yet, cooks perfectly everytime.

best regards, lm

[debmidge]

I purchased a "diffuser" which is metal and goes over the burner to keep the flame from getting too high on the burner and ruining the rice (or anything else I may cook for that matter).

[DebbieInCanada]

  jerseyangel said:

I make both brown and white rice the same way--the only thing that changes is the cooking time.

I put 2 parts water or broth to each one part rice. Add salt, bring to a boil. Cover pan, put heat down to simmer for 20 minutes for white and 40 minutes for brown.

Turn off heat, let the pan sit, covered for 5 minutes.

I also use this method. 2 to 1 water to rice. I add a touch of butter to the water once it boils, then add the rice, stir, cover, and turn down the heat. I find the secret is DON'T PEAK! Leave the lid on for the allocated time, don't stir, don't even lift the lid .

Debbie

[lonewolf]

With regular rice I use the 2 to 1 method, but basmati rice is a bit different. You shouldn't use as much water or it will get mushy. Basmati rice is meant to be more firm - it will taste better that way.

[Rusla]

I have to concur on rice steamers. I love mine because I don't have to watch it and worry if I am preoccupied with other things. I always mix brown basmati rice and wild rice together. With white rice I will add spices and onions and with just onions in it is called rice pilaf. Now I have a hankering for some rice.

[kbabe1968]

I LOVE Brown rice...but it does not cook like white rice.

Rice is usually a 2 to 1 ratio - if you use 1 cup rice, you need 2 cups liquid. Also, you need a dash salt and at least a tsp of some sort of fat.

For brown rice I put the rice (rinsed well), water, dash salt and tsp butter in a NONSTICK pan that has a lid. Cover. Bring to boil, once boiling, reduce heat to a low simmer and leave it alone...don't touch it....don't open it every 10 minutes to stir....jsut leave it alone. For brown rice, it should cook AT LEAST 40 minutes, for white rice 20 minutes.

I like to use broth instead of water, salt and butter, sometimes because it really makes it taste good.

Alot of folks fool too much with the rice.

OH...and the other thing about rice in the crockpot....you should add the rice 1 hour before serving NOT at the beginning. Overcooked rice will disintegrate and become mushy.

Good luck!

[alamaz]

I must confess, i am a peeker i really didn't think peeking once or twice or okay maybe three times towards the end was going to make that much of a difference....whoops!

hmmm.... a rice cooker. i like the sound of those. are they any faster or slower than cooking the rice on the stove?

i like the idea of using broth too. that might jazz up my recipies a bit. hubby is getting a little burnt out on my rice making skillz seeing as how we go from mushy to crunchy every other meal

[Juliebove]

  jerseyangel said:

I make both brown and white rice the same way--the only thing that changes is the cooking time.

I put 2 parts water or broth to each one part rice. Add salt, bring to a boil. Cover pan, put heat down to simmer for 20 minutes for white and 40 minutes for brown.

Turn off heat, let the pan sit, covered for 5 minutes.

I do this too, but instead of turning off the heat I turn it down as low as possible. With my gas stove I could get a really low flame. I can't do that with the electric stove so I might need to eat a bit more water.

As for the soup, you must cook the rice first and then add it to the soup. I was given this tip by a chef. If you put the rice straight into the soup it will keep trying to suck up the liquid.

[kbabe1968]

Little known fact....to control exact heat without a burner you can bake your rice (providing pan and lid have no plastic on them). It's a trick Alton Brown uses often when he is concerned about controlling heat.

I've nevr tried it with rice, but I would imagine if you placed it in a preheated oven - maybe 350, it would work.

[DebbieInCanada]

  kbabe1968 said:

Little known fact....to control exact heat without a burner you can bake your rice (providing pan and lid have no plastic on them). It's a trick Alton Brown uses often when he is concerned about controlling heat.

I've nevr tried it with rice, but I would imagine if you placed it in a preheated oven - maybe 350, it would work.

Yes, rice bakes quite nicely. I have this recipe for a flavorful baked rice. Use the 2:1 ratio for liquid to rice.

saute some minced garlic, onion, green pepper, and herbs (to taste, depending on what you are serving it with) in butter or olive oil. once the onion is soft, add your quantity of uncooked rice. stir and saute until the rice starts to brown lightly. put sauted rice in oven-proof casserole dish. Dissolve a gluten-free boullion in boiling water, or use boiling gluten-free broth, and add this to casserole dish. Cover and carefully put the dish in preheated oven. (the boiling water can slosh around as you pick it up and put it in the oven, so be carefull! ) Bake for about 1/2 hour to 45 minutes.

I usually do this in the last 1/2 hour or so when I roast a chicken, so 325-350F works fine.

Debbie